Hear what some Northern Peninsula first-time voters have to say about the provincial election

The Compass

Published: May 15 at 10:37 a.m.

Newfoundland and Labrador voters will go to the polls on Thursday, May 16. - SaltWire File Photo

How do youth feel about the election?

Blake Ramsay, 18, of St. Anthony says he's not going to pick a compromise.

Blake Ramsay

Age: 18

Hometown: St. Anthony

School: White Hills Academy

Q: What are your biggest concerns heading into this election?

A: Education

I came from New Brunswick and moved here, and the schooling is so much different. I would get modified work and modified grading, because I’m dyslexic, and I got them in New Brunswick, but I get nothing here. If anyone can come in and change that, make it easier just to do the work and be in the school, it would make a whole world of a difference.

Roads

I would like to see someone improve the roads here in town. There are some really big potholes coming into town, some big ones going out of town.

Nature

I’ve heard stuff about an oil refinery coming up. I wouldn’t really like to see that come here. It’s nice here, it’s in nature, untouched. We bring that in, a whole bunch more people are going to come in, we’re gonna have to remove trees, and it’s just going to make everything look worse. I don’t want to see that. I like the nature here, the air is very clean. It’s beautiful here.

Q: Are you voting? Why or why not?

A: I will if I hear more about it. I haven’t heard much of anything from the parties. I really want to, but if no one is really going to offer roughly what I’m looking for, then probably not. I’m not going to pick one compromise over another.

Noah Decker, 18, of St. Anthony says he'll choose "the lesser of two evils."

Noah Decker

Age: 18

Hometown: St. Anthony

School: White Hills Academy

Q: What are your biggest concerns heading into this election?

A: With health care, there’s a big problem with there not being enough beds at our hospitals and staff, when it comes to nurses. The other thing is also I’m wondering about job options because I’m considering going into the medical field myself. I would like to stay close to St. Anthony, I actually really like it here. I grew up here and I’d like things to be as best as they can.

Q: Are you voting? Why or why not?

A: There’s not really much of a choice. Ches Crosbie is saying if you’re not happy with how things are going, you know how to vote. But I don’t think he’s much of a choice either. I feel like he’s basing his whole election on how Dwight Ball has been doing. He hasn’t really set out what he’s going to do. He’s made some promises but a lot of what he says contradicts himself, like what he said in the first debate that he’s not going to cut health care and then Dwight brought up that he has said this stuff.

The choices aren’t that good. I’m happy with how Dwight has done the last four years, but he doesn’t have much of a guideline set out either. So, I’d be looking more towards the NDP. It seems like the NDP was best option in terms of my concerns around health care and things like that. (But there’s no NDP candidate running in St. Barbe – L’Anse aux Meadows).

But I do intend on voting. We have a choice on the leadership we’re going to get, so choose the lesser of two evils and hope for the best.